Under the lamplight, her smile was faint, still so composed and elegant, but her eyes held a different meaning. She crossed her legs, her fingers nimbly tapping lightly on the armrest of the chair, while her other hand gently supported her chin.
Seeing me come in, she spoke with the composure of a mistress of the house, and said with a nonchalant smile, "You're back."
I froze for a few seconds before finally realizing what was happening and blurted out, "What are you doing here? In my house?"
She remained composed, blinking slightly. "Your new home is nice, very clean... Oh, right, I almost forgot to mention, I drank a bottle of beer from your fridge... It tasted good."
Then she stood up and walked gracefully towards me, her demeanor exceptional; I could even smell the alluring fragrance of her hair.
I didn't dare look her in the eye, and just frowned and turned my face away: "How did you get back to my house? How did you get in... Yang Wei?"
Book 1, Chapter 64: Are We Still Friends?
Yang Wei didn't answer me directly. Instead, she walked past me quietly, went to the kitchen door, opened the refrigerator, took out a bottle of beer, glanced at me, and asked, "Want some?"
Her demeanor was so composed and unhurried! It was as if she were in her own home, and I was the guest.
I silently took the beer, and Yang Wei laughed, "Why do you look at me like I've seen a ghost... Am I that scary?"
I gave a wry smile: "You suddenly appeared in my house, shouldn't I be surprised?" I hesitated for a moment, then glanced at the clock, and suddenly my expression changed: "Where are my two friends? Could it be that you...?"
"Hey!" Yang smiled slightly. "Don't overthink it... I'm not a kidnapper!"
She then slowly walked over to me, pulled me to sit down on the sofa, picked up the beer bottle from my hand, took a sip, and sighed, "Actually, I just came to see you and talk to you, that's all."
"What you call 'nothing'... is sneaking into my house?" I couldn't help but mock her.
Yang Wei's expression remained unchanged: "Yes, I just came in to have a drink and rest for a bit. Anyway, no one's home, do you expect me to stand downstairs and wait?"
"My God." I chuckled wryly, rubbing my nose. "If I didn't know you, I would have almost thought you were one of those bastards from some island nation, calling invasion 'entry'..."
Having confirmed that Yang Wei truly meant no harm, I softened my tone slightly. Looking at the woman, I said, "I remember when we last met, you said we probably wouldn't see each other again, is that right?"
Yang Wei fell silent for a moment, a faint melancholy in her eyes. She took another big gulp of beer before letting out a long sigh: "Life is unpredictable... things always change." She smiled, then shook her head and said, "Okay, let's not talk about that. Let's talk about something lighter... I came to China this time to take care of some business... Now that it's almost finished, I suddenly feel a little... well, a little unhappy. I really want to find a friend to have a drink and chat."
Then she stared at me with her captivating eyes and parted her lips slightly: "We're friends... right?"
I don't know why, but being stared at by her eyes, I suddenly felt a dryness in my throat... I couldn't help but recall that night. Down the hillside, we were embracing, she holding my head, both of us gazing at the starry sky... And now, Yang Wei's eyes shone brighter than those starry nights!
I instinctively picked up the beer bottle on the table and took a big gulp. Only after drinking it did I realize that Yang Wei had drunk from this bottle... I felt a little embarrassed. Looking at Yang Wei, her delicate cheeks were flushed, and she was looking at me with a strange expression.
"Okay, fine, we're friends then." I sighed. Then I said cautiously, "But next time you come to see me, don't use this method to get into my house. There's something called a cell phone! And there's something called a doorbell! OK?"
Yang Wei smiled slightly, then suddenly sighed.
I whispered, "Why are you unhappy?"
"Hmm. Things haven't been going too smoothly back home this time," Yang Wei said casually, though she didn't seem to want to elaborate. She then smiled and said, "But you, I didn't expect your life to be so good... Are the two girls in your family your girlfriends?"
"Of course not..." I hesitated for a moment, but still answered honestly, "One of them is my girlfriend, and the other... is a friend who lives here with me."
I noticed a strange glint in Yang Wei's eyes when I said the word "girlfriend," but she quickly masked it.
"Actually, I saw you a few days ago," I said cautiously.
"Yes, it was at that charity auction, right?" Yang Wei chuckled. "I saw you too."
"oh?"
"Hmm." Yang smiled somewhat strangely: "I assure you, when I saw you, you didn't even know it yourself... I was already secretly observing you when you and that beautiful female manager of the casino walked into the women's restroom together."
I immediately blushed, but Yang Wei took a sip of beer and said with a faint smile, "You guys stayed in the restroom for more than half an hour... and then a man and a woman went in..." Her eyes glanced at me intentionally or unintentionally, and she teased, "I really didn't know, when did you start liking this kind of thing? Or has China become this open-minded?"
I was speechless for a moment, and was about to explain when Yang Wei waved her hand: "Alright, I don't want to interfere in your private affairs... Hehe, I just find it interesting because you don't seem like the type to like doing things in the women's restroom..."
I coughed hard and said seriously, "Of course not! What happened that day was... just a coincidence, an accident."
Yang Wei seemed to have no intention of dwelling on this topic and immediately changed the subject. This time, her tone was not so teasing: "By the way, I didn't expect... that after you left Ye Huan, you still ended up in this industry."
"What?"
“I’m referring to Ms. Fang Nan.” Yang Wei’s tone carried a hint of deeper meaning: “Chen Yang, you may not know Fang Nan’s background… but getting too close to her might not be a good thing for you… I’m serious. This circle is too complicated, and the waters run too deep; it’s probably not suitable for you.” She shrugged: “Of course, this is just a friendly suggestion from a friend; you don’t have to take it to heart.”
“Yang Wei…” I sighed, “Actually, there’s something I really want to ask you… but I feel like saying it like this might be a bit disrespectful to you…”
"You want to ask me about Ye Huan?" She smiled.
“Yes!” I sat up straight and looked into her eyes: “That night we were attacked. Then Huan’s business plans were canceled, and Huan was in a very difficult situation… These things… you…”
She immediately interrupted me, saying directly, "You want to ask me if these were all part of a conspiracy I had planned from the beginning?" A faint mockery lingered on her smile, along with a hint of sadness.
I don't know why, but instinctively, when I saw the expression on her face, I immediately regretted it and even felt ashamed for doubting her!
“Chen Yang…” Yang Wei hesitated for a moment: “What I want to tell you is… that many things in this world are very complicated… not so simple! Perhaps in your social circle, things are simple, either black or white, right or wrong… but the world I live in is completely different!”
“But I need an explanation.” I stared at her, unyielding. “I don’t want to doubt you… because if I doubt you, I can’t continue to consider you a friend!”
For a fleeting moment, a hint of excitement flashed in Yang Wei's eyes, but she quickly concealed it—this woman's ability to control and hide her emotions was simply divine!
"Hmm..." She thought about it seriously for a moment, then said in a slow but very sincere tone, "Okay, I can tell you a little bit... but only from the perspective of 'friends'!"
Then she slowly stood up, walked to the window, and turned her back to me. As if looking at the lights outside, she said, “That business deal between Ye Huan and our family was far more complicated than you imagine… You know, the organization behind Ye Huan is enormous. Ye Huan himself is just a figurehead, and there are many other such figures within his organization. Internally, it's said that their organization is not united. Although our family has always operated casinos in the United States and doesn't care about cooperating with powerful figures… but considering the current instability of the organization behind Ye Huan, I firmly opposed that business collaboration. In my opinion, money is necessary, but I don't want to involve my family in the power struggles within Ye Huan's organization. We don't need to get involved in such things. So I firmly opposed it. It's just a pity that within our family, I don't have many supporters; most people are attracted by the potentially huge profits. As for the risks… not many people can face them squarely. Moreover, they have always hoped to connect with China, which would be an opportunity for us to expand our business in East Asia.”
Then her tone softened slightly: "I can admit to you that during my time in China, the opposition forces behind Ye Huan's organization came into contact with me... You already know the person I came into contact with... It was Zhou Jing!"
I stood up abruptly, staring intently at Yang Wei!
Yang Wei turned and glanced at me, her eyes filled with helplessness and pleading. She said softly, "Don't be in such a hurry, let me finish, okay?"
She sighed before continuing, "Zhou Jing expressed his desire to cooperate with me, but I can't tell you the specific details... It's a family business secret, and I have no right to tell you... However, I can tell you that I rejected him!" She stared into my eyes, her expression serious. "Frankly, I'm not such a noble person. In our circle, it's all about deception and treachery. My reason for rejecting him wasn't because I was willing to cooperate with Ye Huan... but because I saw that he only wanted to use us as a means to attack Ye Huan. And as for me, even if I wanted to sabotage the business with Ye Huan, I would find other ways... To put it simply..." she said very seriously.
"From the bottom of my heart, I don't want to cooperate with this organization, I don't want to have any contact with this organization... whether it's Ye Huan's side or Zhou Jing's side... I don't want to cooperate with either of them!"
My expression softened a little.
Yang Wei then slowly said, "Chen Yang, I consider you my friend now... I don't have many friends, very few, and you're one of them. So I don't want to lie to you... Before that night, I actually already sensed that someone wanted to attack me!"
"Oh?" My gaze shifted slightly as I stared at Yang Wei.
"Don't stare at me like that." Yang Wei's tone was somewhat displeased. "I did sense that someone wanted to make a move on me... but Zhou Jing and the others underestimate me! Who am I, Yang Wei? Hmph... My family can stand firm in a place like Las Vegas, so why would I care about this little incident? That night..." She sighed, "Actually, before that night, I sensed back in China that someone was secretly monitoring me. Those people weren't Ye Huan's men, because Ye Huan wouldn't do something like that to me. So I'm sure someone wanted to make a move on me... That night at the casino, I deliberately shunned my bodyguards and drove out alone, just to give them an opportunity to strike!"
I didn't say anything, I just stared at Yang Wei expressionlessly.
Yang smiled, a smile tinged with helplessness and a complex, profound meaning. She turned to look into my eyes: "However, I didn't expect you to be downstairs... As for letting you into the car, it was entirely an accident, a small accident. I won't deny it. Initially, I had some intention of using you. At least you're Ye Huan's subordinate, which could make Ye Huan more convinced that I was attacked by someone else."
"Go on," I said calmly.
"You know what happened after that," Yang smiled and said, "However, I never intended to harm you... You know, that night, I had three men secretly following me. They were all top-notch fighters. I wasn't afraid of being ambushed at all. The only thing I didn't expect was... that you would risk your life to save me. And that you would be seriously injured."
I suddenly let out a cold laugh and said angrily, "Ha! Haha!! So I was a fool!! Even if I hadn't dragged you down the hillside that day, you wouldn't have been in any danger, right? You wouldn't have been in any danger, right?! It was me who stupidly dragged you down the hillside, thinking I was saving you!"
Yang Wei looked apologetic and said softly, "I really didn't mean to mock you. Actually, I'm still very grateful to you."
"Grateful..." I chuckled and shook my head.
Yang Wei gritted her teeth and said, "Whether you believe it or not... that's how it is... As for Ye Huan's later loss of power in his organization, these consequences were not what I foresaw... and..."
Her tone suddenly changed, a cold glint flashing in her eyes: "Besides, even if I had known this would be the outcome, I would still have done it! I must consider the interests of my family! Ye Huan and I have no connection; I have no need to make any sacrifices for him!"
I'm speechless...
I felt I had nothing to say.
In fact, I feel I have absolutely no reason to blame Yang Wei!
Was she wrong?
No!
From her perspective, everything she did was for the benefit of her own family. Her methods weren't despicable or shameless; at most, they were simply playing along. As for whether Huan Ge would suffer any losses as a result… frankly, from Yang Wei's perspective, she didn't need to consider that at all.
I remained silent, but Yang Wei continued, "After the incident, my family reacted immediately... As the family representative, I was attacked domestically, and I had long suspected someone was secretly monitoring me. I was prepared; they wanted to frame me? Hmph, do you think I wouldn't frame them? I had prepared some things and gathered some evidence, which convinced the family that it was the opposing forces within Ye Huan's organization who attacked me... Under these circumstances, the family finally seriously considered the safety of this business cooperation. In the end, they made the decision to proceed with the business cooperation!"
She sighed: "As for Ye Huan... I never intended to harm him. I didn't cooperate with Zhou Jing... If I had cooperated with Zhou Jing, then let me tell you, Ye Huan's fate would have been ten times, a hundred times worse than it is now!"
I remained silent for a long time before sighing, my face expressionless: "Okay, I admit what you said is true and makes a lot of sense... You weren't targeting Huan Ge, nor did you intend to harm him... But the truth is, Huan Ge has lost power because of you! Am I right?"
Yang Wei sneered, her tone tinged with anger: "Chen Yang! Can you stop being so naive? In our circle, it's either you die or I live! We can only try our best to protect our own interests! As for others… who cares? Ye Huan's downfall in this matter isn't anyone else's fault. I've said it before, I have no connection with him, no relationship with him! I have no need to consider his interests! And even less need to sacrifice my own family's interests for his!" Then her tone turned even colder: "Don't say I didn't intentionally harm him… the situation simply didn't require me to do so! If it came to the point where I had to harm Ye Huan… for my family, I would do it without hesitation!"
I was speechless again.
Logically, I know Yang Wei is absolutely right! Absolutely right!!
But emotionally, Huan-ge is my older brother, my eldest brother. He's my boss, even like a father to me!
How could I possibly remain indifferent?
After thinking for a while, I said with difficulty, "But... you could have clearly avoided being ambushed, but you deliberately let it happen!"
“I did it for the family.” Yang Wei said calmly, then she whispered, “Chen Yang… that night, the night we were on the hillside, everything else I said wasn’t a lie! I truly consider you my friend now! Otherwise, I wouldn’t need to say all this to you today.”
"Fine." I sighed and looked at Yang Wei. "You used me. I'm not angry. Really... I can let these things go... But, Yang Wei, you should know what place Huan-ge holds in my heart!"
“I know,” Yang Wei sighed.
I struggled internally, but still gritted my teeth and said with difficulty, "Then, I don't know if I can still consider you a friend now."
Yang Wei's eyes suddenly dimmed. I looked at her and slowly shook my head: "You know what? Actually, I suspected you later in the hospital... Everything happened too coincidentally! Although I don't understand many conspiracies, I understand one thing... Whoever is the ultimate beneficiary is the most suspicious!" I looked into her eyes: "But I don't want to suspect you... In fact, every time I think about these things, I force myself not to think about them anymore! I don't want to suspect you, Yang Wei!"
“I already said, I didn’t mean anything by targeting Ye Huan,” Yang Wei sighed.
“I understand.” I nodded. “From your perspective, you did nothing wrong.”
We stared at each other in silence for a while, the atmosphere somewhat heavy, and neither of us spoke.
Yang Wei walked over and picked up the beer on the table. She tilted her head back and gulped down the entire bottle in one go, drinking a little too fast. She choked a bit, gasped for breath, and her face flushed slightly before she seemed to smile.
"Chen Yang, so now, are we still friends?" Her eyes were bright, and her gaze made me afraid to meet hers...
Then, she put down the bottle, but showed no intention of listening to my answer. She strode towards the door, and before leaving, she suddenly turned back, seemingly smiling sweetly: "By the way, your girlfriend and the other girl are out shopping right now. My men are with them, and they should be back in about twenty minutes. I only dared to come up to you after I was sure they weren't home."
I opened my lips as if to say something, but unfortunately I didn't utter a word.
Yang Wei noticed my expression and sighed, "Chen Yang, take good care of yourself... You're a strange person. You're passionate, impulsive, loyal... and even a bit naive. These are the things I envy about you because I could never be like you in my position."
Her eyes were filled with bitterness: "...Perhaps...when I have time, I'll come find you for a drink and a chat." She looked into my eyes: "I don't have many friends, but you'll always be one of them! As for how you see me...I, Yang Wei, don't care!"
After saying that, she left without looking back.
I stared at the empty doorway, but something kept churning inside me...
Something seems to be blocking my heart, a knot that I can't untie, tormenting me.
I slowly sat down, staring blankly at the empty beer bottle on the table.